Produced by Merck and Co. of the US, Gardasil is an intramuscular injection solution that helps prevent harm from the human papilloma virus (HPV).

The vaccine will be given to young girls and women aged between 9 and 26 at a cost of VND1.9 million per injection. Each of them needs to receive three injections.

The Health Ministry has asked Gasdasil importers to make regular reports to authorised agencies on the importing, circulation and using process, especially the drug’s safety and efficiency in the country.

According to a survey conducted in the country over recent years, cervical cancer is a common female killer with 20.3 in every 100,000 people contracting the disease. The disease is easily found in women farmers and those who have sex and babies at early age or contract sexually transmitted diseases.

Vietnam has not yet had a systematic cervical cancer screening programme and only hospitals in big cities and provinces provide cell tests to detect the disease.